


The Trial

by Paladins_Grace



Series: Monsters & Mana [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Based On a D&D Game, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Shiro (Voltron) Whump, Team Bonding, The team gets tested, Trials
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-21 21:25:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16584473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paladins_Grace/pseuds/Paladins_Grace
Summary: A mysterious force tests the Paladins of Voltron. Will they make it through, stronger, or will they succumb to their demons?





	1. The Cave

**Author's Note:**

> And we're back! This is the mission that really kicked everything off. I'd suggest reading the first fic in the series to get a grasp of what's going on, but starting from here is definitely more interesting. 
> 
> I've upped the rating to teen - things definitely start getting intense in this fic.
> 
> ~Hunk-mun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiro (the player) is the DM for this mission, but Shiro (the character) also participated. Kudos, Shiro, for managing all of that. I've tried to edit her actions so that it makes the most sense.

[Shiro is DM]

 

DM: Pidge walks on to the training deck to see Keith sparring with the guardian.

Pidge: "Hey, do you want to practice swinging your sword all day or actually swing your sword at more spiders back in the cavern?"

Keith: I stop the simulation and join the others. I say nothing.

Pidge: "Anyway, do you know where Shiro is? I think he said he would like to join us too."

Keith: "He left a bit ago to meditate, I think he said."

Pidge: "Thanks. I'll go grab him." I run off to find Shiro

DM: You find him sitting in front of his lion cross legged with him eyes closed

Pidge: "Hey Shiro. Do you want to join us back down in the caverns?"

DM: "I would," I say as I stand. "Were we leaving immediately?"

Pidge: "I think so. Are you ready to go?"

DM: "I am. Who's coming this time?"

Pidge: "Hmm...not sure. I'm going, and I think Lance and Keith are ready to roll too..."

DM: "Okay. I'll see you guys out there."

Pidge: I make my way to the lion

Keith: I make my way to my lion.

Hunk: I go to the hangar and fly my lion out of the castle.

Lance: I make my way to my lion.

DM: I fly my lion to the destination.

Pidge: I fly to the edge of the mud flats as well, and work my way towards the entrance on foot, careful to obey the trail.

Keith: I fly and land my lion at the edge of the mud flat.

Hunk: I follow Pidge.

DM: Everyone arrives at the entrance to the caverns. I jump in using my jetpack. [Shiro rolls 18]

Lance: I follow behind Shiro.

Keith: I jump in as well.

DM: Shiro easily gets to the bottom

Hunk: I do as well.

DM: Lance, Keith, and Hunk, roll agility [Lance rolls 1 (nat1), Keith rolls 14, Hunk rolls 18]

Pidge: I leap down with my jetpack too. [Pidge rolls 6]

DM: Lance jetpacks into the rocks headfirst. He starts to fall. Shiro moves to catch him. [Shiro rolls 9] Shiro barely makes it. [Shiro rolls 9] Shiro catches Lance but takes 2 damage.

Lance: I sigh. "Sorry, Shiro."

DM: Keith and Hunk land safely. Pidge scrapes against the wall on the way down taking 2 damage. I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Just- be more careful next time," I request.

Keith: "So which tunnel are we exploring this time?"

DM: "What are our options?" I ask

Keith: "There's the tunnel with spiders, and a tunnel we haven't explored yet."

Pidge: "We heard a scraping and clattering noise down the tunnel to our right, but the left tunnel has a nest of giant spiders."

Hunk: "And the spider tunnel is partially caved in."

Pidge: "Also watch out for the bioluminescent moss. It can emit a gas that makes us dizzy (and when pressurized, explode) when disturbed...we think"

Lance: "Can we still get through?"

DM: "Hmm... do you know how many enemies are down either side?"

Keith: "There should be 5 spiders left."

Pidge: "And I did a short analysis on our mission log. The spiders probably won't be aggressive if we do not aggravate them first."

Hunk: "Pidge, did you bring any containment units with you this time?"

Keith: "We know nothing about the other tunnel."

Pidge: "I did. I have one regular sized one and we have several smaller ones, provided we eat up the food goo in our tubes first."

Hunk: "Should we try sampling the moss again? At the very least, we should probably take some more video logs."

DM: "Maybe we should explore the unexplored tunnel first. What caused it to start producing the gas you talked about last time?"

Hunk: "Well, Keith poked it."

Keith: "That stopped the light, it didn't cause any gas," I grumble.

Pidge: "More than one factor. Keith's poke stopped the frequent flashing on one sample and my attempt to stuff it into a containment unit caused it to start leaking gas. The other factor was spiders directly spraying armour-melting acid onto the moss on the walls. The gas output was more immediate then."

DM: "If touching it causes it to react doesn't that mean we should leave it alone?"

Pidge: "Probably for the better. But we can weaponize it, as the spiders down here don't seem to enjoy it any more than we do. Also, if stuffed into a containment unit, we can make a makeshift explosive."

Keith: "That explosive would blow up quickly though."

Pidge: "Yeah, we would need to throw it shortly after creating it. Equivalent to a grenade, I suppose."

DM: "Let's leave it alone for now," I say with an eyebrow raised. "You guys have a better feel for this place than I do. I think you should be the ones to decide which direction we go."

Keith: "Since the tunnel we went down last time is partially caved in, we might want to explore the other tunnel this time."

Pidge: I look at the left tunnel, but simply nod

Hunk: I look down the unexplored tunnel.

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 9] "I'll take the lead seeing as I'm currently the most stealthy." I suggest. Hunk sees that the moss extends into this tunnel as well

Keith: "Are you sure, Shiro?"

DM: "I'm sure." I inspect the tunnel. [Shiro rolls 3]

Keith: I also inspect the tunnel. [Keith rolls 19]

Pidge: I inspect the right tunnel too (why not). [Pidge rolls 22]

DM: Shiro sees that there are a lot of rocks. He gets so entranced by the rocks that he walks into a wall and takes 1 damage. Pidge and Keith both happen to glance upwards and see that the moss spells something out.

Keith: "Guys, the moss spells something out, I think..."

Pidge: "Yeah, I'm seeing it too..."

DM: The words read "To all those who dare to enter, prepare together fight alone, all shall be tested."

Keith: I repeat that to the others.

Hunk: "Oh no. Oh no oh no..."

DM: "Let's move forward, team. We can overcome anything thrown at us." Shiro uses motivational speech. [Shiro rolls 1 (nat1)] The motivational speech does nothing, and Shiro again walks into a wall, taking 2 damage. The speech takes 2 st.

Lance: "Relax, Hunk, some teenager probably just wrote that as a prank."

Pidge: What language is the message written in? (We are, after all, on Arus...if I remember right)

DM: English

Lance: "U ok Shiro"

Keith: "We can prepare together now. Our fighting skills should be fine if we fight alone. Shiro, are you okay?"

Pidge: "Who would leave a message in the moss in English though? Last time I checked, not even the Alteans write in English..."

DM: "I'm alright. I just need to pay closer attention to where I'm walking."

Pidge: "Unless if some other space-faring race coincidentally also learned English. Or maybe the moss grows in accordance to whoever sees it..." I ponder in thought over it for a brief while.

Keith: "Rest a bit, Shiro, you've already had it a bit rough here. Should I take the lead instead? You've walked into two walls now."

DM: "No, that's okay. I'll stay in front in case we need to sneak."

Lance: "I bet Keith wrote that when we weren't looking."

Hunk: "Do you want some food? I've got some goo with me."

DM: "But resting for a second wouldn't hurt."

Keith: I glare at Lance. "Why would I touch the moss again?"

Lance: "He's the only one not questioning it."

DM: "I've got my own, thanks.” Shiro rests and restores st

Keith: "Well the message is there, what else can we do about it? I say we go and fight."

Lance: "And Pidge was right, how would an alien race know English? Why would they write that in English? It doesn't make any sense."

Hunk: I study the moss message.

DM: "The only way for us to find those answers is to move forward." It reads the same thing. You notice nothing special

Pidge: I fall in line behind Shiro

Keith: I stand ahead of Pidge, keeping her behind me.

DM: "Everyone make sure your flashlights are off as we move forward. We want to be as stealthy as possible.”

Hunk: I activate my faceplate and bayard and stand behind Pidge.

Pidge: Minorly surprised, I stumble to fall behind Keith, but in front of Hunk

Keith: I pull out my bayard, ready to activate it at any moment.

Lance: I follow along behind Hunk.

(Lance had to leave, Keith took over playing him)

DM: I sneak forwards. Roll stealth [Shiro rolls 15] Shiro sneaks forward and sees a light up ahead. "Everyone stop." I whisper.

Keith: I stop, and get a tighter grip on my bayard.

Pidge: I stop

Hunk: I stop

Keith: Lance stops.

DM: "There's something up ahead. I'm going to try and get a look so we know what we're dealing with."

Keith: "Don't go alone, Shiro, I'll come with you."

Pidge: "Uh...that might be just the case when we all suddenly start to split up...you guys remember the warning?"

DM: I shake my head. "Every extra person makes it more likely that we'll be heard or spotted. I'll be close enough to call for help."

Keith: I protest. "But help has to be close enough to reach you in time."

(Lance returns)

Lance: "Yeah Shiro, at least take Keith with you. That way you won't be all alone, just in case, you know?"

Pidge: I quickly inspect the ground and walls to see if anything is interesting (like...for example a change in flooring).

DM: I consider their suggestions. "Okay, how about you come with me part of the way Keith? If there's trouble you'll be close but you can stay a little farther back than me." The ground has been level. There was a couple of turns in the path earlier.

Keith: "That sounds like a better idea," I agree.

Hunk: I heft my bayard a little.

DM: I take the lead moving forward. Roll stealth [DM rolls 15] Shiro makes it to the end of the tunnel without alerting anything and sees the space open up into a large dome with a large amount of moss gathered along the roof illuminating the area. Keith, if you're following, roll stealth. [Keith rolls 14] Keith stays about 3 meters behind Shiro and also remains undetected. Shiro inspects the dome place. Roll intelligence [Shiro rolls 14]

Keith: I have my grip on my bayard and shield.

Hunk: I move in front of Pidge with my bayard at the ready.

Pidge: I lower my faceplate, then ask over comm channels, "What do you guys see?"

Lance: I check behind us to make sure nothing has followed us from that direction.

DM: Shiro sees a figure in the centre standing at attention. It has the body and face of a giant spider (the spider part is Shiro's height) and a humanoid upper body coming out of the middle of the spider. It's human eyes stare straight ahead and it holds a giant great-sword. There is also a giant metal door on the far side of the room. I back out of the tunnel before relaying what I saw. "It's big." Lance saw nothing behind the group.

Keith: I lower my faceplate to speak. "Do we engage it?"

Shiro: "I'm not sure. It has a human looking half so we might be able to communicate with it."

Keith: How large is the sword?

Lance: "Why should we engage it, though?"

Hunk: "Is it gonna give me nightmares if we fight it?"

Keith: "If we communicate with it, at least someone has to stay back to give cover fire if need be."

DM: The sword goes from the ground to Keith's shoulder.

Pidge: "Uh, we did attack other spiders inside this cave earlier, so let's be cautious about that. We don't need to remind it of what we were doing down there… If this is some sort of crazy spider queen, it might be rather fond of those other spiders..."

DM: "I think we should at least make an attempt. We can blow the tunnel up behind us as we retreat if things go south."

Keith: "How would we blow up the tunnel?"

Hunk: "I can cover you, but I'd rather not engage in a fight if we don't have to."

Pidge: "We can also try destroying the ceiling and making it cave in on this thing. But if it is humanoid, communication might not be a bad thing to try first."

DM: "We should keep Hunk and Lance in the back so they can fire long distance if necessary." [DM rolls 14] The tunnel remains quiet.

Keith: "Pidge, be ready to run. Actually, no, we all have to be ready to retreat."

DM: "It looks like we've decided. Let's move forward."

Hunk: I move closer to Shiro, ready to provide backup.

Keith: "Wait. Maybe only one of us should approach it at once."

Pidge: Check: Is our tunnel flush with the floor of the dome or is the opening above or below? For some reason I thought we were near the roof

DM: Level

Keith: "The rest of us be ready to provide backup."

DM: "Same set up as before then?"

Pidge: "Okay guys. We're ready to jump in if you need us to."

Keith: "I could go in to engage it. I'm the quickest out of all of us."

DM: "We were going to try and talk first, not rush in slashing." I look mildly disapproving

Pidge: "We could also try communicating with it first too..."

Keith: "I meant that if communicating went badly, I'm the most able to dodge."

DM: "Don't take this the wrong way Keith but I'm not sure you should be the one to talk to this thing."

Keith: I give a withering glance at Shiro before conceding. "I'm ready to jump in there as soon as you need me though."

DM: "I know, and I appreciate it. I'm going to try to talk to it now."

Hunk: I move beside Keith and ready my bayard.

DM: Shiro walks into the area, not trying to conceal his approach. As he passes the entrance he disappears.

Lance: I follow Hunk, also readying my bayard.

Pidge: "Uuuuh...I think we just discovered what this thing about trials is!"

Hunk: "Shiro? Are you there?"

Pidge: "Shiro, are you still connected with us?"

Keith: "Shiro!"

DM: You don't hear anything.

Hunk: I look into the cavern to see if anything's changed.

DM: The cavern appears the same

Keith: "I'm going to head in there as well."

Hunk: "Wait, Keith, is that such a good idea?"

Lance: "Do you think the rest of us should stick together, at least?"

Hunk: "Shiro just disappeared."

Keith: "I'll either find Shiro, or find the individual trial the message had spelled out for us."

Hunk: "Okay, but, we might as well try to do this together."

DM: [DM rolls 18] The tunnel remains quiet.

Keith: "Well then we might as well walk in now."

Pidge: I nod, and follow behind Keith, bayard ready.

Keith: I head into the cavern.

Hunk: I also head into the cavern, with Keith.

DM: Each person who walks forward disappears. You're immediately cut off

Lance: "Uh, GUYS?" Seeing them vanish, I run after them.


	2. Trial 1: Shiro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that Shiro's player is also the DM. She wrote out everything that was happening to Shiro in his first trial, but she tended to switch back and forth between DM (third person) and player (first person) here.

Shiro moves forward, trying to communicate. [Shiro rolls 23, (nat20)]

The hybrid turns to Shiro and begins to speak. "You are their leader?"

"Kind of. We make decisions and fight as a team. I lead Voltron and will continue to do so as long as I can. Why are we here? What is this test?"

"A simple fight," it responds. "The first of three."

"When will I be reunited with my team?"

"In a sense, at the end of the first trial. Are you ready to begin?"

I nod and bow in respect before preparing myself.

It shoots forward, thrusting its sword.

I dodge. [Shiro rolls 12, DM rolls 18] Shiro gets clipped as he rolls. Roll defence. [Shiro rolls 13] Shiro takes 2 damage. (14 HP/21 st)

Shiro charges forward and slashes with him, mech hand active. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 8, DM rolls 15] The blow is blocked and the spider shoots acid from close to point blank.

Shiro dodges. [Shiro rolls 10, DM rolls 18] Shiro takes a direct hit. He takes 5 damage and his right arm is burned. Shiro loses 3 st. (9 HP/18 st)

Shiro inspects the hybrid [Shiro rolls 20 (nat20)] Shiro notices that its stomach and eyes are its weak points. He eats food, goo restoring 2 HP. (11 HP/18 st)

The hybrid shoots webbing. Shiro pulls out his shield while attempting to dodge. [Shiro rolls 19] Shiro isn't touched by the webbing and loses 1 st. He charges with his shield raised. Roll strength. [Shiro rolls 5, DM rolls 19]

Shiro is swatted aside. Roll defence [Shiro rolls 6] Shiro takes 5 damage. (6 HP/16 st)

"I expected more from you, Leader of Voltron."

"I promise I'm usually more impressive than this," I respond ruefully. Roll communication [Shiro rolls 15]

"I shall give you a moment to rest," the warrior says. Shiro restores stamina and bandages his burn. He restores 4 HP and no longer loses 2 strength.

"Let us continue."

Shiro tries to jab it in the eye. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 11] Shiro scores a hit to its face dealing 2 damage. He loses 2 st. (10 HP/19 st)

A horizontal slash is directed at Shiro he tries to jump on top of the sword. Roll agility [Shiro rolls 16] Shiro is successful and jumps from the sword onto the body of the spider and aims a punch at the human head. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 10, DM rolls 12]

The human drops the sword to catch Shiro's fist. It takes 1 damage. Shiro loses 4 st.

The human’s other fist tries to punch Shiro. Shiro tries to block. [Shiro rolls 20 (nat20)] Shiro grabs the wrist of the hand and twists, breaking it and dealing 4 damage.

Shiro headbutts the human head. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 4, DM rolls 7] Shiro takes 2 damage and the hybrid takes 1. (8 HP/15 st)

Both parties are dazed. Roll to see who recovers first. [Shiro rolls 2, DM rolls 13] The hybrid recovers first.

It releases Shiro's right hand and tries to push him off. Shiro blocks. Roll defence [Shiro rolls 17, DM rolls 13] Shiro stays put.

Shiro punches with his now free hand. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 5, DM rolls 5] Shiro overbalances, but the hybrid wasn't expecting that to happen. Nothing really happens. Shiro loses 1 st.

The spider jumps in an effort to dislodge Shiro. Shiro keeps his grip on the left wrist. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 5] Shiro is flung off. Roll agility [Shiro rolls 18] Shiro manages to control his fall and turns it into a roll, avoiding damage.

He charges trying to dive under the stomach of the spider. Roll agility [Shiro rolls 20 (nat20), DM rolls 14] Shiro slides neatly under the spider.

He puts all his weight behind his punch. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 6] Shiro hits a weak point, but can't put much force behind his attack. He deals 3 damage.

The spider tries to collapse on him. Shiro's dodges. Roll agility [Shiro rolls 15, DM rolls 4] Shiro rolls out from underneath and spider happens to drop onto a sharp rock. It takes 2 damage. (6 HP/7 st)

Shiro charges in the hopes of finishing the warrior. Roll strength [Shiro rolls 20, DM rolls 9] Shiro hits it right in the eye, killing it. The corpse collapses on the ground

I search the body. Roll intelligence [Shiro rolls 3] It dissolves into thin air.

Shiro rests.

I inspect the room. Roll intelligence [Shiro rolls 6] I notice nothing unusual.

I examine the door. Roll intelligence [Shiro rolls 2] It's a door.

I use a bandage. Shiro restores 4 HP.

A glowing handprint appears on the door. I place my hand overtop of it and close my eyes. It's warm and it glows brighter, and the door opens. Shiro walks through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Shiro. You have no idea what's coming.
> 
> This is all that I have pre-scrubbed. I'll try and keep plugging on as best I can. If you've read this far, please consider dropping me a comment!


	3. Trial 1: Keith

DM: You appear to be alone with the spider hybrid.

Keith: With my bayard and shield ready, I approach the front of it, giving it a wide berth.

DM: Its eyes follow you, but it doesn't move.

Keith: I say aloud, "Is this a test?"

DM: Roll communication [Keith rolls 6]

DM: It turns towards you and its eyes narrow. "Face your reckoning."

Keith: I draw my bayard and shield and stare it down. "I'm ready."

DM: Its massive sword descends down on your position. [DM rolls 11]

Keith: I roll out of the way, towards its legs. [Keith rolls 10]

DM: You dodge the sword, but you’re knocked off balance as the ground shakes from the force of the blow.

Keith: I pick myself up and swing my sword at the creature's legs.

DM: Roll strength [Keith rolls 14, DM rolls 15] The sword swings around to parry your strike, but you get in a light blow dealing 2 damage.

Keith: I use the momentum of my swing to roll to a new position (if momentum is a thing idk how fighting works)

DM: No idea. One of the spider legs kicks out at you during your roll [DM rolls 9] It misses.

Keith: I finish my roll and swing at the creature again. [Keith rolls 13, DM rolls 18]

DM: Your attack is blocked. (You've lost 4 st total) The sword that blocked you suddenly pushes forward.

Keith: I push back, then try to redirect the push to the side. (I have zero clue how to describe this it's like that movie trope)

DM: Roll strength [Keith rolls 19, DM rolls 15] You deflect the blade and the creature overbalances slightly. You lose 1 st

Keith: I roll towards the weak leg(s) and try to slash at them.

DM: Roll strength [Keith rolls 21, DM rolls 10] You hit a leg at a weak junction, severing it. The hybrid takes 5 damage and is angry. It swings its sword in a devastating overhand slash. [DM rolls 12]

Keith: I roll away from the sword, towards the back of the creature (or the side that's opposite the weak junction) [Keith rolls 5]

DM: You trip and are unable to dodge. Roll defence [Keith rolls 11] Your left arm is fractured and you take 5 damage. From now on using your left arm costs 1 HP. You also lose 3 st

Keith: I get up and move away from the creature, still heading behind it.

DM: It turns with you. [DM rolls 8] It shoots acid at you

Keith: I roll out of the way, towards it. [Keith rolls 19]

DM: It misses you. You get much closer to it

Keith: I slash at another leg. [Keith rolls 9, DM rolls 2]

DM: You deal 2 damage and lose 1 st

Keith: I slash at it again, attempting to sever it. [Keith rolls 15, DM rolls 7]

DM: You deal 3 damage and lose 2 st. It counter attacks with its sword

Keith: I roll out of the way, away from the creature. [Keith rolls 7, DM rolls 10]

DM: It hits you in the side and you're lifted off your feet. Roll defence [Keith rolls 15] You take 2 damage from the hit but luckily your injured arm isn't hit.

Keith: How far away from the creature am I?

DM: 15 meters

Keith: I patch up my fractured arm with a bandage while resting a bit

DM: It heals 4 HP and you recover 3 st. The spider shoots webbing at you

Keith: I roll out of the way. [Keith rolls 6]

DM: You get hit mid-roll. Roll defence [Keith rolls 19] You only take 1 damage and the webbing gets stuck to the ground after you fall

Keith: I rush forward, roll, and slash at it from the side. Or as side as I can get. [Keith rolls 17, DM rolls 1]

DM: You hit underneath its stomach, dealing 4 damage. It collapses, defeated.

Keith: I rest.

DM: Your st is restored

Keith: I go and inspect the corpse.

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 13] The corpse shimmers and vanishes, leaving behind an earring

Keith: I poke at the earring with my sword.

DM: Nothing happens

Keith: I prod at it with my finger.

DM: Nothing happens

Keith: I pick up the earring.

DM: You have an earring now

Keith: I belatedly inspect the room around me.

DM: The original tunnel you came in is gone. There's still a giant metal door

Keith: I go and inspect the door.

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 8] The door is tall and metal.

Keith: I inspect the earring. [Keith rolls 15]

DM: It looks like a mini version of the sword the creature fought with. The earring has a button

Keith: I press the button.

DM: You hear static

Keith: "Uh...." I try to follow the static noise.

DM: It emanates from the earring

Keith: "What did that even do??????" I grumble to myself. I finally realize I haven't tried pushing at the door and give that a try.

DM: It's locked

Keith: I look for locks on the locked door. "Okay. Earring didn't open the door." I check the walls around the room to see if I've missed anything, or I check what I can check.

DM: Nothing else

Keith: I groan very loudly in frustration. I slash at the doors with my sword, also in frustration.

DM: Nothing happens

Keith: I groan louder in frustration. I try to put the earring on

DM: It clips on.


	4. Trial 1: Hunk

DM: You appear to be alone with the spider hybrid.

Hunk: I look around and study my surroundings.

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 3] You notice nothing new, but the spider hybrid shifts to face you while you're distracted.

Hunk: "He-hello." I wave tentatively at the spider.

DM: Roll communication [Hunk rolls 9]

Hunk: Do I appear to be in the cavern?

DM: Yes. It looms and points its sword at you. "You shall be judged."

Hunk: "F-for what? Who are you?" I look down the tunnel behind me.

DM: The entrance is gone. The hybrid makes no more noise, but swings its sword horizontally at you. [DM rolls 9]

Hunk: I backpedal and fire my bayard at it.

DM: Roll agility [Hunk rolls 10] You back out of the way of the sword, but the resulting gust from the slash causes you to stumble and fall backwards.

Hunk: I roll to the side and stand up. I study the hybrid for weak spots. How much HP does it have?

DM: Roll intelligence. You don't know how much HP it has. [Hunk rolls 10] You think it has at least 10 health. You consider that the belly of the spider might be unprotected.

Hunk: I fire my bayard, aiming at its belly. [Hunk rolls 13, DM rolls 7]

DM: You land a successful hit, dealing 4 damage. You've lost 5 st total so far

Hunk: I fire again. [Hunk rolls 14, DM rolls 5]

DM: You hit its protected flank this time, dealing 2 damage. You lose 3 st

Hunk: I study it for another weak spot. [Hunk rolls 10]

DM: Everything else appears to be covered but you aren't sure. The spider spits webbing at you. [DM rolls 2]

Hunk: I dodge the webbing. [Hunk rolls 2 (nat1)]

DM: You roll into the webbings path and take a direct hit. Roll defence [Hunk rolls 23 (nat20)] The force of the webbing causes you to roll, but you take no damage. The webbing gets caught on the ground as you roll.

Hunk: I move to my feet and fire again, aiming at the hybrid's stomach. [Hunk rolls 12]

DM: You hit the hybrid but not in the stomach. The shot hits the humanoid's arm dealing 1 damage. You lose 3 st

Hunk: I aim and fire again. How much health does it have left?

DM: You don't know. You can roll intelligence for that. Roll strength for your attack [Hunk rolls 22, DM rolls 14] You hit its weak point and it takes 5 more damage. You lose 4 st. It lunges at you thrusting its sword. [DM rolls 4]

Hunk: I block.

DM: Roll defence [Hunk rolls 6] It hits you and deals 2 damage. You remain on your feet

Hunk: I aim at its belly and fire again. [Hunk rolls 4 (nat1), DM rolls 9] "You know, you never answered my question. Rude."

DM: You miss and happen to hit some moss on the wall. Gas begins to pour out

Hunk: My faceplate is already activated. I back up against the wall (as far away from the gas as I can get) and fire again. [Hunk rolls 5]

DM: You miss and your weapon recoils, dealing 3 damage to you. The spider shoots acid at you.

Hunk: I dodge. [Hunk rolls 15]

DM: You dodge out of the way. The hybrid wobbles, obviously weakening.

Hunk: I aim and fire again. [Hunk rolls 19, DM rolls 20 (nat20)]

Hunk: w h a t

DM: The hybrid blocks your shot with its sword, but is pushed back from the force. It takes 1 damage and you lose 3 st

Hunk: I fire again. [Hunk rolls 22, DM rolls 2]

DM: It takes a direct hit and slumps over, defeated.

Hunk: I inspect the corpse. (Is there anything useful I can take?)

DM: Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 13] The corpse shimmers before fading. An earring is all that's left.

Hunk: I take the earring and move to inspect the doors. Since I'm not fighting anymore and I'm pretty winded, can I assume that I'm regaining stamina now? I also inspect the earring.

DM: You do. Roll intelligence [Hunk rolls 7] It looks like a miniature version of the sword

Hunk: I open the doors.

DM: You can't. They're locked

Hunk: I inspect the doors. [Hunk rolls 17]

DM: You notice that there appear to be 5 locks. 2 of them are unlocked

Hunk: I look around the room for keys. Also, what is the gas doing?

DM: It stopped when the creature disappeared. There are no keys

Hunk: I shoot at the 3 locked locks.

DM: Nothing happens

Hunk: I attempt to communicate with my team via comms.

DM: Nothing happens

Hunk: I attempt to use the earring as a key.

DM: It doesn’t work.

Hunk: I eat one of my food goo snacks for 2 HP.

DM: You hear the words "What did that even do?????" come from your earring

Hunk: "Hello?" I take a closer look at the earring. Can I equip the earring in any way?

DM: Yes. You clip it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no memory of role-playing any of this.


	5. Trial 1: Pidge

DM: You appear to be alone with the spider hybrid.

Pidge: I look around in surprise and call out to the hybrid. "Hey! Where are my friends? Where am I?"

DM: Roll communication [Pidge rolls 20 (nat20)] The spider hybrid turns towards you and speaks. "You and your _friends_ have elected to take the challenge. This is stage 1."

Pidge: "And what am I supposed to do?" Keeping a good distance away from the wall, I start slowly skirting around to get closer to the iron door

DM: "Fight. Connect." The spider part shoots webbing at you.

Pidge: Raise shield!

DM: Roll agility [Pidge rolls 9, DM rolls 9] You raise your shield in time. Roll defence [Pidge rolls 4] The force knocks you into some rocks. You take 4 damage

Pidge: I attack with my bayard

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 13, DM rolls 6] You hit it for 3 damage and you lose 2 st. The human half swings its sword in a horizontal sweep attack. [DM rolls 20 (nat20)]

Pidge: Shield up to block the sword, I run at the spider part

DM: Roll defence [Pidge rolls 11] The force of the swing lifts you off your feet. You take 3 damage and get swatted to the side. You lose 3 st

Pidge: I swing my bayard into the spider's legs, hoping to entangle it

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 9]

Pidge: Your bayard hits the outside of its leg and glances off, only dealing 1 damage. It rushes you (like in a bodyslam). [DM rolls 19]

Pidge: Dodge!

DM: Roll agility [Pidge rolls 12] It clips you and you're sent skidding. Roll defence [Pidge rolls 11] You take 2 damage.

Pidge: After I get up, check how close I am to the iron door

DM: It's about 7 meters to your left

Pidge: I activate my faceplate, then launch my bayard into the wall, above the door.

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 8] You hit and latch onto some moss above the door. Gas pours out

Pidge: I recoil my line with the bayard still anchored in the wall. Let's see if I can get up there

DM: [DM rolls 7] The moss comes off the wall and is dragged back to you

Pidge: Annoyed more than shocked, I launch my piece of moss (with the bayard head still attached) to the human half

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 17, DM rolls 1 (nat1)] You hit its face and the moss remains stuck there. The hybrid wobbles before throwing the moss away. It's dizzy and takes 4 damage. You lose 2 st

Pidge: I use this chance to inspect it. [Pidge rolls 19]

DM: You think it has about 15 hp total. The underside of its spider stomach seems unprotected. Acid is shot at you

Pidge: Shield!

DM: Roll agility [Pidge rolls 12, DM rolls 12] Most of it hits your shield, but a little bit splashes and hits your hand, dealing 1 damage. You aren't burned.

Pidge: Check: Is the discarded moss piece still venting gas?

DM: Yes. It's pretty far away from both of you

Pidge: All right, doing this the hard way then. Shield up still, I make another dash to get beneath the spider

DM: Roll agility [Pidge rolls 19, DM rolls 1 (nat1)] You successfully slide directly underneath the hybrid.

Pidge: I jab my bayard directly into the underside, followed immediately by me electrifying my bayard

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 14, DM rolls 4] You deal 6 damage and it's bleeding for 1 damage a turn. You lose 4 st. It tries to collapse its weight onto you.

Pidge: Get the heck out of there [Pidge rolls 21]

DM: You succeed and it hurts itself, taking 2 damage.

Pidge: Killing itself?

DM: Yes

Pidge: Yes! I inspect the corpse [Pidge rolls 7]

DM: It dissipates. There is something left over though

Pidge: I inspect the left-over piece. [Pidge rolls 16]

DM: It's an earring with a button

Pidge: "Well...here goes nothing." I press the button

DM: Static comes from the earring

Pidge: I gingerly return it to the ground, and inspect the room [Pidge rolls 24 (nat20)] I also rest and consume a food goo tube while looking around

DM: Your st is restored, along with however much HP. The door has 5 locks. 3 of them are unlocked

Pidge: "5? Must be for 5 paladins." I hypothesize. "Sure hope the others are doing all right." Nonetheless, I pry at the door with my bayard

DM: Nothing happens

Pidge: "Figures." I retrieve my earring again and compare it to the door

DM: There are no similarities

Pidge: "Alright, this is just another puzzle. You're good at puzzles, Pidge," I say aloud. I analyze the earring again, in particular, the shape, size and colour

DM: It looks like the sword the hybrid wielded

Pidge: After a short walk looking around the rest of the room (along with inspecting what used to be the entry), I decide to equip the earring. I also don my helmet again after equipping the earring

DM: Earring equipped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What on earth could those earrings be for?? ? ????? ?????


	6. The Earrings

DM: Hunk's voice can be heard through the other paladins’ earrings. "Hello?"

Keith: A yelp can be heard from Keith. "What???????"

Hunk: "Keith? Is that you?"

Keith: "Yes it's me, this is Hunk?"

Hunk: "Yeah. Where are you?"

Keith: "I'm in the trial room. I assume you're in it too? Where's everyone else? Why can't we hear them?"

Pidge: "Guys, is that you?!?"

Keith: "Pidge???"

Hunk: "Pidge! I'm in that tunnel that Shiro headed into, but I'm the only one here and the part that we were in disappeared. I had to fight that spider thing."

Keith: "I fought it as well."

Pidge: "Same here. Hunk and Keith, right? Anyone get through the iron door?"

Hunk: "No, it's locked. I tried shooting my way out, but no dice."

Keith: "I've been stuck in the room. Do you have any idea what's going on Pidge? If it's any help, I found an earring and pressed a button on it. But that didn't do anything to the door."

Hunk: "How banged up did everyone get from the fight?"

Pidge: "Well, I have that earring on too. And no luck. But given that only 3 of us are finished the trial, it basically confirms my theory that each of us corresponds to a lock our doors. We'll need to wait for Lance and Shiro."

Keith: "I'm fine. There are locks on the door?"

Pidge: "I'm a little bruised, but all right. I don't know if I can go through another battle like that again, though."

Hunk: "Yeah, there's 5 locks and 4 of them are unlocked. That must mean that 4 of us are done fighting."

Keith: "I don't see these locks."

Pidge: "Yeah. There's locks on the door, I'm sure they correspond to us"

Hunk: "But if 4 of us are done fighting, why do only 3 of us have earrings?"

Pidge: "Wait. You mention four of them are unlocked? Last time I checked, only three were unlocked..."

Keith: "I don't see these locks at all…” Keith sounds very confused.

Hunk: "No, I just checked and four are unlocked now."

Pidge: "Let me take a look. Hmm. I also see four unlocked. But if only three of us are talking here… I pressed the button on my earring before I saw the locks on the door, so I assumed that that controlled the locks too. However, it may only be related to enabling the communication between us again since I heard static at the same instance I pressed it."

Keith: "I heard static when I pressed my button as well. I still don't see these locks."

Hunk: "There's a button on the earring?"

Pidge: "So I'm guessing either the lock is opened when somebody defeats that...thing and hasn't grabbed their respective earring or...well, considering that these trials are individual, then one person's absence cannot slow us all down, so then the door would open even in event of...oh no."

Hunk: "Ohhhh. Oh. I see it now. Pidge? Pidge. Why are you uh-ohing."

Pidge: "If Lance or Shiro aren't answering then...then is it possible that one of them...didn't make it?"

Hunk: I am silent.

Keith: "Shiro would definitely make it."

Pidge: "Hmm...given that us, as unskilled in combat as we are presently (even with our recent battles), and that this is only the first trial, then it is more likely than not that we all would have made it… But that concerns me about another matter. This room sapped my strength, what's going to be behind the next one?"

Hunk: "Yeah, but Pidge, you're also pretty tiny. It makes sense that fighting individually would tire you out."

Keith: "This first trial was fine for me."

Pidge: "It's likely to be even more difficult than the last, but that's mostly out of stereotypical trial design. On an alien planet, that might not make sense as our tropes would have developed differently, but we clearly saw English letters in that moss in the tunnel before," I ramble on.

Keith: "Are you sure you guys aren't seeing things? The door is all metal to me."

Hunk: "So you're assuming that these trials were designed for an English-speaking human? No Keith, these locks are definitely here."

Pidge: "I can clearly see them too. Maybe Keith not being able to see it suggests that the next room will be different for him?"

Keith: "The trials could adapt themselves to whoever stumbles upon them. I expected the first trial to be more difficult."

Hunk:"Or, maybe Keith's trapped in his room with no hope of escape, and he'll die in there long after we've made our ways out."

Pidge: "That would be a terrible trial design, unless if the next trial is related to Keith actually escaping the room."

Hunk: "Relax, Pidge, I was teasing."

Pidge: "Or maybe the trial wasn't to defeat that monster itself, though it seems so far that the fight was the bulk of the trial."

Keith: A groan of frustration comes from Keith's end. "I see the locks now."

Pidge: "You see four unlocked, right?"

Keith: "Yes."

Hunk: "Yeah, same here." The sound of something repeatedly hitting the wall comes over the comm.

Pidge: "What's going on?"

Keith: "A handprint?"

Hunk: "There's a...handprint?"

Pidge: "I see it too, but what was that thumping?"

Hunk: "Oh. That was my head."

Pidge: "Are you all right, Hunk?"

Hunk: "Yeah. Just a little frustrated."

Keith: "The handprint is warm. It got slightly brighter when I put my hand to it."

Hunk: "Same here."

Pidge: "Well, let's see what other tech this strange room has."

Hunk: "You're in another room?"

Pidge: A soft pat comes the comm. "No, I just touched the door. It's working the same as your doors, getting warmer and brighter."

Keith: "We might need everyone to touch it."

Pidge: "Good idea."

Keith: "And we might all have to touch it at once."

Pidge: "My door opened!"

Hunk: "Same!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Keith kept rolling 5s on inspecting the door. He couldn't see the locks to save his life until he finally rolled a 19.


	7. Trial 1: Lance

DM: You appear to be alone with the spider hybrid.

Lance: "Uh, hey, dude," I wave at him. "Have you seen my friends? They just came through here-"

DM: Roll communication [Lance rolls 1 (nat1)]

Lance: #B L E S S E D

DM: The spider shoots acid at you, taking you by surprise.

Lance: I attempt to dodge. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 7] The acid hits your left shin and burns you for 3 damage. All movement agility will receive -2 due to the burn

Lance: Lovely. I ask the spider again whether he has seen my friends, and attempt to communicate that I am not a threat and it is not necessary to shoot acid at me.

DM: Roll communication [Lance rolls 10] It sneers at you. "Cowardice has no place here. Fight or die." It lunges with its sword.

Lance: I dodge again. "Chill out, man, like, smoke some weed or something."

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 21 (nat20)] You dodge completely, and the hybrid pauses for a second to assess you

Lance: I take the opportunity to fire my gun at him, aiming for his eyes.

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 18, DM rolls 19] It cuts through the beam, splitting it. It still gets hit but on the forehead instead of the eye. It takes 3 damage and you lose 3 st

Lance: I shoot again, aiming for his torso this time though

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 21 (nat20) DM rolls 7] It's a direct hit. You deal 4 damage and you lose 2 st. The hybrid charges at you.

Lance: I dodge again

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 3]

Lance: gg, it was nice knowing you

DM: The hybrid slams into you. Roll defence [Lance rolls 4] You impact the wall hard. You lose 7 HP and you are dizzy from hitting your head. -1 to your agility rolls from now on

Lance: Check: how close is he to me after this

DM: 15 meters or so. That's your estimate

Lance: Awesome. I shoot at him, aiming for the eyes again

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 0 (nat1)]

Lance: ofc

DM: You hit the moss on the wall, which begins to produce gas. The recoil from your gun does 4 damage. The hybrid shoots webbing at you

Lance: I attempt to dodge

DM: Roll agility. Remember, it's -2 for movement [Lance rolls 2]

Lance: :^^^)

DM: You're hit and get tangled in webbing

Lance: Lovely. Can I even move at all now?

DM: A little. You can try to escape

Lance: I try to escape

DM: Roll strength [Lance rolls 8] I'm going to take pity on you here. The creature watches you struggle and says, "What kind of warrior are you?"

Lance: I continue to struggle, pretending not to have heard him.

DM: Roll strength [Lance rolls 9] You escape

Lance: bless

DM: The hybrid laughs at you. "How can you hope to win this fight?"

Lance: Check: how close am I to the walls? & is there any of that weird mossy stuff growing where I can reach it?

DM: Yes

Lance: "Like this," I reply calmly, grabbing a handful of the bioluminescent moss from the walls and throwing it at him.

DM: Roll strength [Lance rolls 4] You miss

Lance: I throw again

DM: The moss is producing gas. Roll strength [Lance rolls 20] It goes into his mouth and he swallows it. He's now dizzy

Lance: I take advantage of this to shoot at him one more time

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 4] You miss. The spider shoots more webbing at you

Lance: I dodge

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 16] You dodge, and the spider half of the hybrid loses its balance

Lance: I shoot at him yet again

DM: Roll agility [Lance rolls 7] You strike a glancing blow on the main body, dealing 2 damage. You lose 2 st. The spider topples over and gas starts coming out of it

Lance: I activate my faceplate thing and shoot at it a few more times just to be sure

DM: Roll strength [Lance rolls 15] It takes 2 damage. The gas starts pouring out more quickly, and you can see a pulsing light coming from the body

Lance: I keep shooting

DM: [DM rolls 20 (nat20)] The corpse shimmers slightly before disappearing

Lance: Can I rest for a turn and restore some stamina?

DM: Your st is now fully restored.

Lance: Yay. I look around the room

DM: Roll intelligence [Lance rolls 2] You see nothing of interest

Lance: I test the door to see if it's locked

DM: When you touch the door, a glowing handprint appears under your hand

Lance: Yeah but is it locked

DM: Kind of

Lance: what does that mean

DM: It's closed

Lance: I push on it to see if it will open

DM: The door opens

Lance: I look through it

DM: There's another room. There are 5 waist-high pillars in an X formation. Each pillar has a rock on top of it. You also see more words spelled with moss.

Lance: I try to read the words spelled with moss.

DM: "Alone you have triumphed, but without teamwork this will be as far as you go. Each individual may see a vision of one stone. Each of the 5 must be completed, but not all by a single individual," it reads

Lance: "Great.. so where is everyone?" I mutter, turning around to take one last look at the room behind me

DM: Roll intelligence [Lance rolls 3] It seems to be empty

Lance: More in an attempt to avoid thinking than anything else, I walk back to examine the place where the spider hybrid died.

DM: Roll intelligence [Lance rolls 4] You find nothing. The room starts to shake. Bits of rock fall from the roof.

Lance: I run back into the other room

DM: The door closes and disappears behind you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP, Lance. You had it rough, buddy.
> 
> I'm not sure when I'll have the next trial up, since it requires a ton of editing on my part for the three paladins with earrings.


	8. The Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins proceed to Trial 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter also has not been beta'd yet. (Shiro...? love you)   
> I pronounce this betad, or would it be betaed, beta'd? Oh wait beta'd was used above. I'm sticking with beta'd then.

Keith: I walk forward through the door. Does anything happen?

DM: There's another room. There are 5 waist-high pillars in an X formation. Each pillar has a rock on top of it, and each pillar has a number. The far left pillar from where you came in is 1, the far right is 2, the middle is 3, the closest one to the left is 4, and the closest one to the right is 5. You also see more words spelled with moss. As soon as you walk through, the door shuts behind you before disappearing

Pidge: "Wait, just in case our communication cuts off once we enter again, tell me what you see in the next room. I just want to confirm we all have the same trial next."

Hunk: "There's, uh, a bunch of pillars and some more moss."

Pidge: "Do you guys see a room with 5 pillars and rocks?"

Hunk: "Yeah."

Pidge: "Give me a second to read the moss. Do you guys also see words in it?"

Keith: I read the words.

DM: "Alone you have triumphed, but without teamwork this will be as far as you go. Each individual may see a vision of one stone. Each of the 5 must be completed but not all by a single individual," it reads

Keith: "Yeah. ‘Alone you have triumphed, but without teamwork this will be as far as you go. Each individual may see a vision of one stone. Each of the 5 must be completed but not all by a single individual,’” I say slowly.

Hunk: "Mine says the same thing. I'm going in, guys."

Pidge: "Yeah, same thing..."

Keith: "Wait."

Pidge: "I got five stones on my five pillars. You guys?"

Hunk: "Oh, great," wafts softly over the comm.

Pidge: "I'm going in."

Keith: "We all need to choose a different stone."

Pidge: "Oh! Good idea!"

Hunk: "What does 'a vision of one stone' mean? I see 5 stones."

Pidge: "But wouldn't that mean we still need Shiro and Lance? Where are they?"

Keith: "If we touch the stones, I have a feeling that we'll be taken to a trial."

Hunk: Hunk whimpers quietly.

Pidge: "Anything can happen at this point… But how do we know which stones Shiro or Lance are going to take?"

Hunk: "We...we don't."

Pidge: "We can try guessing. One of those two might try taking the centre one."

Hunk: "Do you think they'd think to tackle the trial in Voltron formation? Like, I take the closest stone, Shiro takes the centre stone, Keith takes the far right one, etc."

Pidge: "My pillars lie in an X formation. Are yours in a cross?"

Hunk: "No, mine are in an X."

Keith: "Same here."

Pidge: "Okay. I'm looking over the nearest one to the right presently. For now, don't touch them."

Hunk: "I'm gonna head over to the far left one."

Keith: I examine the far right stone without touching it.

DM: They all appear identical. Each is a black, smooth looking stone about the size of a fist

Keith: I wonder if Keith knows which one Shiro might take.

DM: Roll communication [Keith rolls 17] You theorize he'd choose the middle stone

Pidge: "We're supposed to have different visions about these stones? Mine is black, and the same size as my fist. Same with you guys?"

Hunk: "Yup."

Pidge: "I'm going to shuffle to the back-right stone, just to be safe."

Keith: "I think Shiro would take the middle stone. Does anyone know which one Lance would take?"

Pidge: "Lance might default to one of the nearer stones."

Hunk: "I think he'd take the near left stone, since that one more or less corresponds to his position in Voltron."

Pidge: "I'd say, simply because people's right-dominant minds prefer the right side, that Lance might take the near right one. Oh, that's a good theory too. But which side would be the "top" and which the "bottom"? Hunk, let's trade stones, just in case these do correspond to our Voltron positions."

Hunk: "Well, I was thinking that the stones at the back of the room would be the arms, and the ones closest to the door would be the legs, as if Voltron was lying face-down with its feet at the door."

Keith: "What about face-up?"

Pidge: "Well, it's as much as I know so far. Let's try that. Though if they're just randomly aligned, there's a greater chance you would conflict with Lance's stone."

Keith: "Which stones are you two taking?"

Hunk: "We should all touch the stones at the same time."

Pidge: I'll take back-left. How about you guys?

Hunk: "I'll take the front-right, then."

Keith: "I'll take the back-right, then. We'll touch them at the same time."

Hunk: "Everyone ready?"

Pidge: "Ready. Let's touch them on 'go'. 3, 2, 1, go.”

Keith: Keith is going to wait for the others to touch the stones and then inspect the stones again for possible differences. I inspect the stones again. I still inspect the stones closely after the others have touched them.

DM: Have you touched it then? And which number?

Keith: I haven't, I lied to the others and didn't touch my stone. I check 5.

DM: It looks the same as the others. The other stones haven't changed at all.

Keith: I sigh. I touch the stone at 2.

DM: You're suddenly overtaken by a vision. You’re in a big city, and everything is burning. There are people all around you running desperately forward. Others have collapsed out of sheer exhaustion. Throughout all of it, there's a steady sound of thousands of boots hitting the ground in unison. You blink and you appear back in the room.

Pidge: "AH! Uh...did anyone else see that?"

Keith: "Uh. Pidge, what did you see?"

Pidge: "I suddenly had a vision. There was a digital clock, ticking down from 20 minutes. A wall read, in what I think was blood, 'WHERE'S THE BOMB?' We might have only twenty minutes to get out of here."

Keith: "I was surrounded by people running, in a burning city, and I heard the sound of thousands of boots marching in unison. What does it mean, 'completed,' though?"

Hunk: "Wow, okay, I'm gonna have nightmares. Mine was a clown with a target on its face. ...And it was walking towards me. 'Completed,' Keith?"

Keith: "The moss."

Hunk: "Oh. Right."

Pidge: "The room I was in was some stark-white room, definitely not here...so maybe the bomb isn't here. We should see if we can interact with any other stones. Though the moss suggests that we can't… I'm going to try pillar 4."

Hunk: "I'm just gonna check this thing again, first."

Keith: I touch another stone, number 4.

DM: Nothing happens

Keith: "I'm at pillar 4...." Keith sounds distracted.

Pidge: "Did you see anything, Keith?"

Keith: "Nothing."

Keith: I look around the room to inspect it, confused by the words in the moss.

DM: There's nothing new

Hunk: "Nothing happened when I touched stone 5 again. ...Maybe Lance and Shiro have already picked up their stones?"

Pidge: "But what does it mean?", Pidge says softly, with more footsteps in the background.

Hunk: "Wait, Pidge, what's that sound?"

Pidge: "Oh, sorry. That's me walking to pillar 1. I'm going to try lifting the stone."

Keith: "That's a good idea."

Hunk: There’s the sound of footsteps.

Keith: I lift the stone that held my vision.

DM: As soon as it's lifted off the pillar, a glowing portal appears on the opposite side of the room from where you first came in.

Keith: "Portal...?"

Pidge: "Woah! A portal just opened up when I grabbed my stone."

Keith: "I'm going in."

Hunk: "Um. I lifted stone 3 and the portal appeared..."

Keith: I enter the portal.


	9. Trial 2: Keith

Pidge: "Uh...something tells me that we might be in the spots we just saw."

Hunk: "Keith, did you go through the portal already?"

Pidge: "Hopefully I won't be hunting for a bomb anywhere..."

DM: You're back in the burning city. A man runs up to you. "What are you doing kid?! Run before they get you too!!!"

Keith: I run alongside him. "Who's _they_? I'm in my vision," I say to the others.

Hunk: "Guys, I'm stepping through the portal."

DM: "The galra, you fool! You have to keep running forward!" He yells

Keith: I chance a glance backwards as I keep running.

DM: There are thousands upon thousands of galra marching in unison for as far as you can see

Pidge: "Well, the portal closes once you return your stone where you found it. Did anyone take their stones with them?"

Hunk: "I have mine with me."

Keith: "Hunk, what did you see in your vision? Pidge, what do you see in your room?"

Pidge: "Hunk, what do you see around you? You picked up a stone other than the one you saw. I'm still in that stone room. I haven't entered yet, but I feel pretty certain I'm going to meet some mad-man screaming about a bomb once I enter."

Hunk: Hunk screams.

Pidge: "Hunk! What are you seeing?!?"

Hunk: "Oh, guys, oh geez, oh man… No-nothing, I can't see anything, but something is laughing." There's panic in his voice.

Keith: "Where are we running to?" I ask the man.

DM: "Away!" He trips and lands face-first on the ground.

Pidge: "Looks like we're out of choices. I'm going in"

Hunk: "Wha-wh-what do you guys see?"

Pidge: "Keith, it sounds like there's an army literally coming upon your city. Are they human? Galra? Can you tell?"

Keith: "Galra. Thousands of them."

Pidge: "What are those voices in the back?"

Keith: "Someone tripped."

Hunk: Hunk screams, and the sound of his bayard firing ripples across the comm.

Keith: "Hunk?!"

Pidge: "Uhhh! I'm back in the white room! And that timer is ticking down..." Panic is edging its way into Pidge's voice, a poor attempt to conceal it… "Hunk, what's happening?"

Keith: I keep running, looking at what's ahead.

DM: Abandoned cars and other random city stuff (garbage cans, newspaper dispensers, etc.). Farther ahead you can see a chain link fence. You lose 1 st from running

Keith: Do I see what's past the fence?

DM: It's a haze. There's a lot of smoke from the fires.

Keith: "Pidge, are you doing alright?" Keith sounds a little out of breath.

Pidge: "Yeah, just looking around first. Yourself? Are you running from the Galra?"

Keith: "Yeah." I get ready to scale the fence.

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 24 (nat20)] You scale the fence in record time. You lose 3 st.

Hunk: Hunk screams again.

Keith: "Hunk!"

Hunk: "Why won't you DIE, you evil MONSTER?!?"

Keith: "What's going on?!"

Pidge: "Hunk! Argh. We need to clear our heads. This is just a vision in a trial, so clearly we should be thinking about what we need to be doing."

Hunk: "I don't know what I need to be doing! There's a scary clown trying to kill me!"

Pidge: "Hunk, try getting out of there, if you can. Keith, look around for a source of the Galra or something they might be after."

Keith: I assume I jump down the fence as well. What do I see?

DM: There's someone on their hands and knees gasping for breath ahead of you and to your left. People randomly run past in you every couple of seconds. Other than that, it looks the same as before.

Keith: I keep running, yelling out "Where did they come from? What do they want?"

DM: No one answers you, but you hear screaming coming from behind you.

Hunk: "Wha-what are you??"

Pidge: "Uuuuuuh...I think I found the bomb! There's a dufflebag right here, with a...cylindrical thing with wires, and a keypad. There's also a computer here, and a clipboard. I'm going to check it out."

Keith: I glance backwards.

Hunk: You hear "One, one, the number is one. The answer is ticking down in front of you," being sung faintly.

DM: The galra reach the fence and open fire, with lasers tearing it to shreds in seconds. [DM rolls 2] None of the lasers come close to you. You lose 1 st from running

Pidge: "The number one?!? Ticking down? I think I know what's going on! That must be the passcode to this bomb!"

Hunk: "Pidge, does that help you? Great, but how do I keep this guy from filleting me like a fish??" Hunk's voice is panicky.

Pidge: "Hunk, are you in a room of some sort?"

Hunk: You hear footsteps, and Hunk says "What is that supposed to mean?" to someone. A pause, then, "I - I think so. It's still completely dark."

Keith: I look around me while still running.

DM: More people, more fire, more buildings. Roll agility [Keith rolls 9]

Pidge: "Maybe we're all in the same city, but I don't know where I am."

Keith: "I'm still running away from Galra."

Pidge: "This clipboard makes no sense. 'Four. The harder you hit, the more it hurts.' Wait. Hunk, what stone did you first touch?"

Hunk: "Stone 5. Do you have a thing for number 5? Pidge, if that clipboard has some advice for 5, I'd really appreciate it!"

DM: Your leg collides with car, slowing you down. You lose 3 st

Keith: Do any of the buildings have an open door?

DM: No. [DM rolls 12]

Pidge: "No, not from this clipboard. Hunk, is the damage you're dealing being reflected back at you?" Some heavy jangling is heard "Argh. Locked."

Hunk: "No, my shots are just passing through him. Are there any other clipboards? Did anyone take stone number 4? Keith, are you in number 4?"

Keith: “2.”

DM: Someone runs up alongside you. "I- can't- keep going!" You hear between desperate breaths.

Pidge: "The answer is ticking down...what does that mean? And no Hunk, I don't see any more clipboards yet. There's a desk with a computer and that clipboard, a bunch of lockers and a locked chest, and a duffle bag with...I think a bomb in it."

Keith: I appraise them (what they look like). "How long have you been running?"

DM: It's a man with short blonde hair. His face is contorted in terror. When he hears your question he chokes on a laugh while sobbing. "How long?! HOW LONG?!" He descends into hysterical giggles, which causes him to fall over.

Hunk: "Keith, are you with someone?"

Keith: "There's a trick to this. I can't keep running forever."

Pidge: "Haha, that lock broke easily. Let's see what's in this chest."

Hunk: "Uh, guys, the clown just disappeared. Pidge, that might be a trap, if it opened that easily."

Pidge: "Well, if you think a piece of cloth and a screwdriver counts as a trap," I say somewhat dryly. "But thanks for your concern."

Keith: "Hunk what did you do? Why did the clown disappear?"

Hunk: "I didn't do anything! It just disappeared!"

Keith: "Did Shiro do something?"

Pidge: "Or Lance. Hunk, keep looking around, see if you can find anything aside from this darkness. And be careful, that clown might come back."

Hunk: "Oh, come on..." You hear faint laughing.

Keith: Can I roll int to see if Keith has any idea what to do? Also I yell at the Galra, "What do you want?!"

Pidge: "Keith. Can you get behind enemy lines? Try getting into a building and work your way against the flow."

DM: Roll intelligence [Keith 3] They don't respond. You're feeling a little panicked and can't think clearly [DM rolls 1 (nat1)] A galra shoots a laser at you. Also, you lose 2 st

Keith: I roll out of the way of the laser. Is there anything I can hide behind?

Pidge: "Oh come on! Why is this locker empty?"

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 22] There are abandoned cars. As you roll out of the way, a newspaper flies through the air and is caught on your chest with a smack.

Keith: I examine the newspaper as I head for a car to roll under.

Pidge: "Keith! Are you all right?"

Keith: "Newspaper..."

DM: It has the number 3 in title font. Underneath it says, "Sometimes you have to be emotional to be rational."

Keith: I head under a car, then try to think again about what to do while resting for a beat.

Pidge: "Anything interesting in it? Anything about extraterrestrial life sightings or political tension? Can you even safely read it?"

Hunk: "Augh! ...that's weird..."

Keith: "’3: sometimes you have to be emotional to be rational.’ What happened, Hunk?"

DM: You regain 3 st. The Galra get closer. They're now about 200 meters away.

Hunk: "I blocked his knife square with my shield, but I somehow got cut on my arm."

Pidge: "Hunk, is this the first time you’ve blocked him?"

Keith: can i roll int again plz

DM: Yes [Keith rolls 13]

Keith: plz take pity

Hunk: "Yeah, it's the first time he attacked. They keep disappearing before I can do too much, though."

Pidge: "Try to avoid blocking him again, and keep dodging. Maybe you might even have to stop attacking."

Hunk: Hunk yells.

DM: You realize that the clue you found like has to do with stone 3 and is the key to solving that puzzle. You know that you can't stop running but that there must be some sort of trick you're missing

Keith: I keep running. "A trick… All the clues have been the opposite of what you'd expect. I can't stop running, but what don't I expect? But the clue to stone 1 isn't an opposite..."

Pidge: "All the clues have been opposite of what you'd expect? What does that mean?"

DM: You lose 1 st

Keith: I keep running. "There's a trick. Something I wouldn't expect. What don't I expect?" Can I roll int again? Also, do i still have the stone on me? “What am I looking for? Where do I need to run?"

Pidge: "Are you reading that from the paper, Keith?"

Keith: "No..."

Pidge: "What's the source of that information?"

Keith: "I'm thinking out loud, alright?"

DM: You lose 2 st. Roll agility [Keith rolls 19] You'll be able to roll intelligence soon. You keep running. Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 3]

Keith: i'm going to cri omg

DM: You can't think and it's making you angry. -2 to communicate until you calm down

Keith: "I just know there has to be some sort of trick I'm missing here. I just don't know what. What is the _trick_?" I keep running, looking to see how far the Galra are behind me as a distraction.

Hunk: Hunk's bayard fires.

Pidge: "Keith, is there anywhere you can simply hide from the Galra for now?"

Keith: "I have to keep running."

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 11] They're still 200 meters away. You stumble and lose 3 st recovering

Keith: I duck behind the closest car to catch my breath for a beat and try to think again.

DM: You gain 3 st. Roll intelligence [Keith rolls 3] Your anger grows. -1 intelligence until you calm down

Pidge: "Hunk, what's happening? Are you still fighting that clown?"

Keith: "Argh!" Keith sounds very annoyed.

Pidge: "I don't have two minutes!" I say, frustrated. "Wish me luck guys. I'm going to try punching the time into the bomb." My voice is a little shaky.

Hunk: "Augh! Yeah, still fighting! I think I got a hit on it, but it disappeared again."

Pidge: "Uh. That didn't look like it ended well. This bomb's keypad blinked red, but didn't do anything."

Hunk: You hear a yell from Hunk.

Pidge: "Anybody here know how to disassemble a bomb? Wait...why would there be a styrofoam cylinder inside a bomb… Wait...oh no...is this even the bomb?!? No no no..."

Hunk: Hunk yells. His voice is filled with pain.

Keith: "Hunk! Have you been hit? What happened?"

Pidge: "Hunk!"

Hunk: "Yeah, I got hit. Nothing too deep yet."

Keith: "Didn't you try to block???"

Hunk: "Yeah, only, that isn't exactly working right now." He groans.

Pidge: "Are the attacks going through your shield?"

Keith: "What do you mean? Our shields are fine."

Pidge: "Hunk got hurt once, even though his shield directly took the blow"

Hunk: Hunk is breathing heavier. "Every time I block with my shield, the attack lands somewhere else."

Pidge: "Do the attacks you block always hit you, or just land elsewhere completely? Argh! Come on! I only have 13 minutes left"

Hunk: "What do you mean?"

Pidge: "Do the attacks sometimes strike completely elsewhere, as in, not hitting you?"

Hunk: "If it lands on my shield, it hits somewhere else. I've managed to block all of them so far, but I don't want to see what these guys do if I can't get my shield up in time."

Pidge: "These 'guys'? You're fighting more than one?"

Hunk: Hunk's breathing becomes regular. "Yeah."

Keith: I go and keep running.

DM: [DM rolls 9] Someone cries out for help to your right. Their leg is pinned under a fallen tree

Keith: I go to help them.

DM: "Please save me!" The woman cries.

Keith: I try to save them.

DM: How?

Keith: How large is the tree?

DM: You need two arms to encircle it all the way around. It's medium for a tree

Keith: I try to cut the trunk between the woman's leg and the leaf end of the tree. (for easier lifting idk how to explain things)

DM: I get it. Roll strength [Keith rolls 21] You sever the tree, and she's no longer pinned underneath. She tries to stand but she collapses due to her broken leg. She's sobbing incoherently at the realization that she can't run.

Keith: (can i int again about what to do about the trial) I pick her up and start running again.

DM: You lose double st while carrying someone. You lose 4 st. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She's really worked up

Keith: (shiro can i int again plz) "You're welcome. Do you know where I should be running?"

DM: Soon. At your words she becomes morose. "I've run north, south, east, and west. There is no escape - only extra time."

Keith: How far are the galra behind me?

DM: 170 meters because you stopped to help her. You lose 4 st

Keith: I head behind another car to rest for a second and think. Do I know if the Galra destroy everything in their path? "There's gotta be an escape somewhere. But you've run everywhere?" If I lean against a building do I get more stamina?

DM: "I told you I've run in all four directions!" You regain 2 st

Keith: "All four?" I groan. "Where can I run, then? Running on the streets won't get me where I need to be." Can I roll int now?

Pidge: "Try going inside?"

DM: Yep [Keith rolls 11]

Keith: what's the street like one sec are there manholes? or what's the sky like?

DM: You can't see the sky because of smoke. They are some manholes

Hunk: Hunk groans.

Pidge: "What does this note read? 'Tick tock, down goes the clock'? It's probably important to me, but does anyone else have anything to do with clocks here?"

Keith: "No."

Hunk: "No, I've just got creepy laughter over here. Hmm. Haha! Score one for Hunk!"

Pidge: "Nice! You killed one?"

Hunk: "Yup."

Keith: I head for a manhole and try to lift it.

DM: Roll strength [Keith rolls 15, DM rolls 4] You lift it. A laser beam is heading in your general direction.

Pidge: "Who would be playing solitaire in a room with a bomb in it?"

Hunk: Hunk yells, and his bayard can be heard firing.

Pidge: Pidge quietly wishes for Keith and Hunk. You hear a clock ticking down. "What? That's it? The sound file only contains tick tick tick?"

Hunk: "Oh thank God, I was worried for a second there. I mean, I am worried, but like, I was panicking a little more than I am now."

Keith: I dive down the manhole

DM: Roll agility [Keith rolls 23] You successfully make it down, but you hear the woman scream from above. You lose 2 st. You’re now in a sewer tunnel that extends in either direction.

Keith: "Didn't Hunk's clue say the answer was in front of you or something?"

Pidge: “Yeah, 'One one the number one. The answer is ticking down in front of you'."

Keith: I move away from the manhole entrance, then inspect the tunnel while catching my breath.

DM: It's dark, but a red light is coming from one end

Keith: Do I gain stamina at all? I start walking towards the light, quietly.

DM: You see an alcove with a stone pillar. It has the number 2 on it and a red stone sits on top of it.

Keith: I rest to full stamina btw.

DM: Your st is recovered

Keith: ah it feels good to have my stamina at full again. I'm going to calm down now too.

Keith: "I'm in an alcove with a red stone on top of a pillar."

Hunk: "What does the pillar look like?"

Pidge: "Can you hit the pillar to rattle the stone off?"

Keith: "It has the number two on it. I'm going to pick up the stone."

Hunk: You can hear Hunk's bayard firing steadily. Hunk gives a frustrated yell.

DM: You're calm

Keith: i have my int boost again _yes_. I pick up the stone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't forget about Shiro! Shiro's trial is classified for now :)))


	10. Trial 2: Pidge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pidge narrated pretty well everything she was doing as she was doing it, so,,,,there's a lot of overlap here. I apologize.
> 
> Also, RIP, Shiro, trying to manage 4 players doing completely different things all at once. You did a good job.

Keith "Portal...?"

Pidge: I attempt to lift stone 1

DM: As soon as it's lifted off the pillar, a glowing portal appears on the opposite side of the room from where you first came in.

Pidge: "Woah! A portal just opened up when I grabbed my stone."

Keith: "I'm going in."

Pidge: I try lowering the stone again back where I found it

DM: The portal disappears

Hunk: "Um. I lifted stone 3 and the portal appeared..."

Pidge: "Uh...something tells me that we might be in the spots we just saw."

Hunk: "Keith, did you go through the portal already?"

Pidge: "Hopefully, I won't be hunting for a bomb anywhere..."

Keith: "I'm in my vision."

Hunk: "Guys, I'm stepping through the portal."

Keith: You hear a lot of footsteps in the background

Pidge: "Well, the portal closes once you return your stone where you found it. Did anyone take their stones with them?"

Hunk: "I have mine with me"

Keith: "Hunk, what did you see in your vision? Pidge, what do you see in your room?"

Pidge: "Hunk, what do you see around you? You picked up a stone other than the one you saw. I'm still in that stone room. I haven't entered yet, but I feel pretty certain I'm going to meet some mad-man screaming about a bomb once I enter."

Hunk: Hunk screams.

Pidge: "Hunk! What are you seeing?!?"

Hunk: "Oh, guys, oh geez, oh man… No-nothing, I can't see anything, but something is laughing." There's panic in his voice.

Pidge: "Looks like we're out of choices. I'm going in." I grab stone 1 again and charge towards the portal.

Hunk: "Wha-wh-what do you guys see?"

Keith: Faintly, you hear "who's they?" and "where are we running to?"

Pidge: "Keith, it sounds like there's an army literally coming upon your city. Are they human? Galra? Can you tell?"

Keith: "Galra. Thousands of them."

Pidge: "What are those voices in the back?"

Keith: "Someone tripped."

Hunk: Hunk screams, and the sound of his bayard firing ripples across the comm. 

DM: You're back in the room with the writing on the wall. The timer begins ticking down.

Keith: "Hunk?!"

Pidge: "Uhhh! I'm back in the white room! And that timer is ticking down..." Panic is edging its way into Pidge's voice, a poor attempt to conceal it… "Hunk, what's happening?"

Pidge: I inspect the full room first [Pidge rolls 24 (nat20)]

DM: There's a desk with a computer to your left. There's also a clipboard on the desk. To your right there's a chest and a row of lockers. Directly behind you, there's a duffle bag.

Keith: "Pidge, are you doing alright?" Keith sounds a little out of breath.

Pidge: "Yeah, just looking around first. Yourself? Are you running from the Galra?"

Keith: “Yeah.”

Hunk: Hunk screams again.

Keith: "Hunk!"

Hunk: "Why won't you DIE, you evil MONSTER?!?"

Keith: "What's going on?!"

Pidge: "Hunk! Argh. We need to clear our heads. This is just a vision in a trial, so clearly we should be thinking about what we need to be doing."

Hunk: "I don't know what I need to be doing! There's a scary clown trying to kill me!"

Pidge: "Hunk, try getting out of there, if you can. Keith, look around for a source of the Galras or something they might be after."

Keith: "Where do they come from? What do they want?"

Pidge: I lower my faceplate and investigate the duffle bag.

DM: There appears to be something inside of it

Pidge: I open the duffle bag, cautiously trying to keep some space between me and it (if possible).

DM: There's a cylindrical device with a bunch of wires and a keypad

Hunk: You hear me say "Wha-what are you??" 

Pidge: "Uuuuuuh...I think I found the bomb! There's a duffle bag right here, with a...cylindrical thing with wires, and a keypad. There's also a computer here and clipboard. I'm going to check it out." I leave it and investigate the clipboard.

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 15]

Hunk: You hear "One, one, the number is one. The answer is ticking down in front of you,” being sung faintly.

Pidge: "The number one?!? Ticking down? I think I know what's going on! That must be the passcode to this bomb!"

Hunk: "Pidge, does that help you? Great, but how do I keep this guy from filleting me like a fish??" Hunk's voice is panicky.

Keith: You hear lasers from Keith's end.

Pidge: "Hunk, are you in a room of some sort?"

Hunk: You hear footsteps, and Hunk says "What is that supposed to mean?" to someone. "I - I think so. It's still completely dark."

Pidge: "Maybe we're all in the same city, but I don't know where I am."

Keith: "I'm still running away from Galra."

DM: The clipboard reads "Four. The harder you hit the more it hurts."

Pidge: "This clipboard makes no sense. 'Four. The harder you hit, the more it hurts.' Wait. Hunk, what stone did you first touch?"

Hunk: "Stone 5. Do you have a thing for number 5? Pidge, if that clipboard has some advice for 5 I'd really appreciate it!"

Pidge: "No, not from this clipboard. Hunk, is the damage you're dealing being reflected back at you?" I make my way to the chest. I also take a glance at the clock

DM: It continues ticking down. The chest is locked

Pidge: I jangle the lock. "Argh. Locked"

Hunk: "No, my shots are just passing through him. Are there any other clipboards?"

Keith: A thump is heard from Keith's end

Hunk: "Did anyone take stone number 4? Keith, are you in number 4?"

Pidge: "The answer is ticking down...what does that mean? And no Hunk, I don't see any more clipboards yet. There's a desk with a computer and that clipboard, a bunch of lockers and a locked chest, and a duffle bag with...I think a bomb in it."

Keith: "2. How long have you been running?"

Hunk: "Keith, are you with someone?"

Keith: "There's a trick to this. I can't keep running forever."

Pidge: I attack the lock with my bayard [Pidge rolls 17]

DM: It breaks

Pidge: "Haha, that lock broke easily. Let's see what's in this chest."

Hunk: "Uh, guys, the clown just disappeared. Pidge, that might be a trap, if it opened that easily."

Pidge: I pull off the lock and look inside the chest

DM: There's a screwdriver and a piece of cloth

Pidge: "Well, if you think a piece of cloth and a screwdriver counts as a trap," I say, somewhat dryly. "But thanks for your concern."

Keith: "Hunk, what did you do? Why did the clown disappear?"

Hunk: "I didn't do anything! It just disappeared!"

Keith: “Did Shiro do something?"

Pidge: "Or Lance. Hunk, keep looking around, see if you can find anything asides from this darkness. And be careful, that clown might come back."

Pidge: I grab both the screwdriver and the cloth. I attempt to open all of the open lockers, moving on from any locked ones to the next one

Hunk: "Oh, come on..." You hear faint laughing.

Keith: "What do you want?!"

Pidge: "Keith. Can you get behind enemy lines? Try getting into a building and work your way against the flow."

Keith: There’s more laser sounds.

DM: Only the furthest left of the four lockers is unlocked

Pidge: I investigate inside the open locker [Pidge rolls 24 (nat20)]

DM: You didn't need to roll there. It's empty

Pidge: "Oh come on! Why is this locker empty?"

Keith: There’s a light _thwap_

Pidge: "Keith! Are you all right?"

Keith: "Newspaper..."

Pidge: "Anything interesting in it? Anything about extraterrestrial life sightings or political tension? Can you even safely read it?"

Pidge: I read the time on the clock again and move to the computer

Hunk: "Augh! ...that's weird..."

Keith: "’3, sometimes you have to be emotional to be rational.’ What happened Hunk?"

Hunk: "I blocked his knife square with my shield, but I somehow got cut on my arm."

Pidge: "Hunk, is this your first time you blocked him?"

Hunk: "Yeah, it's the first time he attacked. They keep disappearing before I can do too much, though."

Pidge: "Try to avoid blocking him again, and keep dodging. Maybe you might even have to stop attacking."

DM: The clock now says 17:48

Pidge: I attempt to access the computer and investigate the contents

Hunk: Hunk yells.

Keith: "A trick… All the clues have been the opposite of what you'd expect. I can't stop running, but what don't I expect?" Keith is talking to himself. "But the clue to stone 1 isn't an opposite..."

Pidge: "All the clues have been opposite of what you'd expect? What does that mean?"

Keith: "There's a trick to all of these rooms, there has to be. There's a trick. Something I wouldn't expect. What don't I expect?" Keith is still talking to himself, and is still running, by the sounds of it.

Pidge: "Are you reading that from the paper, Keith?"

Keith: "No..."

Pidge: "What's the source of that information?"

Keith: "I'm thinking out loud, alright? I just know there has to be some sort of trick I'm missing here. I just don't know what. What is the _trick_?"

Hunk: Hunk's bayard fires.

Keith: "What am I looking for Where do I need to run?"

Pidge: "Keith, is there anywhere you can simply hide from the Galra for now?"

Keith: "I have to keep running."

Pidge: "Hunk, what's happening? Are you still fighting that clown?"

Keith: "Argh!" Keith sounds very annoyed.

DM: The computer is password protected

Pidge: Using hacking skills, I attempt to open it

DM: Roll general [Pidge rolls 13] You figure out that it's a 6 digit password and the first three numbers are 7, 4, and 1. The computer then locks you out and the message "Try again in 2 minutes" shows up.

Pidge: "I don't have two minutes!" I say, frustrated. I turn my attention back to the bomb. I look at the time on the clock again and analyze the bomb's (cylinder's) keyboard

DM: The clock now says 15:22. It's a standard keypad with numbers 0 through 9

Pidge: "Wish me luck guys. I'm going to try punching the time into the bomb." My voice is a little shaky. I look at the clock again and punch in that time into the keypad (presumably 1521)

DM: The keypad flashes a red light but nothing else happens.

Keith: Keith growls, sounding even more annoyed than before.

Hunk: "Augh! Yeah, still fighting! I think I got a hit on it, but it disappeared again."

Pidge: "Uh. That didn't look like it ended well. This bomb's keypad blinked red, but didn't do anything." I inspect to see if I could unscrew anything on the bomb

DM: Roll intelligence [Pidge rolls 23] One side of the cylinder can be unscrewed

Pidge: I start unscrewing that with my screwdriver

DM: It pops open. Inside is a styrofoam cylinder

Pidge: Can I pull it out without disrupting the wires? If so, I do

DM: Yep. It's completely styrofoam. The wires don't connect to anything

Hunk: You hear a yell from Hunk.

Pidge: "Anybody here know how to disassemble a bomb? Wait...why would there be a styrofoam cylinder inside a bomb… Wait...oh no...is this even the bomb?!? No no no..." I activate my lights and peer down the tube I just pulled the cylinder from.

DM: It's empty

Pidge: I return the styrofoam cylinder, close the device, and return the screw I took out. However, I only loosely tighten it with my hand. I then go directly towards the clock. Check: Is the clock mounted on the wall?

DM: It's attached directly to the wall. So there's no stand or anything

Pidge: I look to see if I can pull it off with my screwdriver again. [Pidge rolls 15]

DM: It looks like your screwdriver can't get enough leverage to pry it off, and there are no visible screws. The time reads 13:12

Hunk: Hunk yells. His voice is filled with pain.

Keith: "Hunk! Have you been hit? What happened?"

Pidge: "Hunk!"

Hunk: "Yeah, I got hit. Nothing too deep yet."

Keith: "Didn't you try to block???"

Hunk: "Yeah, only, that isn't exactly working right now." He groans.

Pidge: "Are the attacks going through your shield?"

Keith: "What do you mean? Our shields are fine."

Pidge: "Hunk got hurt once, even though his shield directly took the blow."

Hunk: Hunk is breathing heavier. "Every time I block with my shield, the attack lands somewhere else."

Pidge: "Do the attacks you block always hit you, or just land elsewhere completely? Argh! Come on! I only have 13 minutes left!" I decide to return to the 3 closed lockers and attempt to smash each lock with my bayard

DM: Roll strength 3 times [Pidge rolls 5, 18, and 20] The second locker remains closed, but the third and fourth open.

Hunk: "What do you mean?"

Pidge: "Do the attacks sometimes strike completely elsewhere, as in, not hitting you?"

Hunk: "If it lands on my shield, it hits somewhere else. I've managed to block all of them so far, but I don't want to see what these guys do if I can't get my shield up in time."

Pidge: "These 'guys'? You're fighting more than one?"

Hunk: Hunk's breathing becomes regular. "Yeah."

Keith: "There's gotta be an escape somewhere. But you've run everywhere? All four?" A groan. "Where can I run then? Running on the streets won't get me where I need to be."

Pidge: "Try going inside?"

Hunk: Hunk groans.

Pidge: I investigate the open lockers

DM: The third one has a note and the fourth is empty

Pidge: I read the note

DM: "Tick tock, down clicks the clock."

Pidge: "What does this note read? 'Tick tock, down goes the clock'? It's probably important to me, but does anyone else have anything to do with clocks here?"

Keith: "No."

Hunk: "No, I've just got creepy laughter over here. Hmm. Haha! Score one for Hunk!"

Pidge: "Nice! You killed one?"

Hunk: "Yup."

Pidge: Check: How many digits does that keypad accept before flashing red?

DM: 4.

Pidge: I return to the computer tower instead of the computer monitor. I attempt to open it

DM: It's open. You can try the password again, by the way

Pidge: I hack the computer password again

DM: Roll general [Pidge rolls 16] You finish hacking it. There's an unfinished game of solitaire

Pidge: "Who would be playing solitaire in a room with a bomb in it?" I read the current state of the game.

Hunk: Hunk yells, and his bayard can be heard firing.

Pidge: I quietly wish for Hunk and Keith. 

DM: You determine it isn't significant

Pidge: I scan the rest of the computer

DM: There's a sound file.

Pidge: I play it

DM: It's the sound of a clock ticking down.

Pidge: "What? That's it? The sound file only contains ‘tick tick tick’?" I scan computer logs to see who was last on here and what they were doing.

Hunk: "Oh thank God, I was worried for a second there. I mean, I am worried, but like, I was panicking a little more than I am now."

Keith: "Didn't Hunk's clue say the answer was in front of you or something?"

Pidge: 'Yeah, 'One, one, the number is one. The answer is ticking down in front of you'."

DM: There aren't any logs.

Pidge: Check: Literally nothing else of interest on this computer? I check the internet connection. If it exists, I open the top news stories

DM: There’s nothing else

Keith: "I'm in an alcove with a red stone on top of a pillar."

Hunk: "What does the pillar look like?"

Pidge: "Can you hit the pillar to rattle the stone off?"

Keith: "It has the number two on it. I'm going to pick up the stone."

Hunk: You can hear Hunk's bayard firing steadily. Hunk gives a frustrated yell.

Pidge: I shut down the computer and investigate the computer tower I opened. Anything of interest?

DM: Nope

Keith: "I'm back in the room where all the stones were, now."

Hunk: "Are any of the stones missing?"

Pidge: "How? What did you do? Aaarrgh, I'm tired of this clock!" 

Keith: "Pidge, what if you tried examining the clock?"

Pidge: "Yeah, and now it gets to examine my bayard!" I attack the clock with my bayard.

Keith: "Wait!"

Pidge: I stop before I can attack

Keith: "Pidge, what did you find when you examined the clock?"

Pidge: I hurriedly walk over and inspect it again

DM: It reads 8:55

Pidge: Anything else of interest with the clock?

DM: It's kind of part of the wall. There's a small gap between it and the wall, but it doesn't protrude from it.

Pidge: "Aaarrgh, I'm tired of this clock!" Pidge's bayard can be heard again

Keith: "Wait! Pidge, what did you find when you examined the clock?"

Pidge: "I figured I can't pry it off with my screwdriver. I'll take another look at it, hang on."

Hunk: "Keith, can you pick up any of the other stones?" Hunk whispers.

Keith: "All the stones are gone. Pidge, can you try prying off the clock with your bayard? Gently?"

Pidge: "All right, I'll give it a shot." I try again at prying it off, this time with my bayard

DM: Roll strength [Pidge rolls 15]

Hunk: Hunk screams again, fear creeping back into his voice.

Keith: "Hunk! Are you alright? What happened?"

Hunk: "This one has a chainsaw!"

Pidge: "This clock is built right into the wall...there's a small opening here. I'll try it out."

DM: You succeed. It's a vent

Keith: "How have you even been hitting the clowns, Hunk???" Keith sounds confused.

Hunk: "I've actually been mostly missing. But one of them died in one hit when I deliberately missed."

Pidge: "Yes!"

Hunk: "I am very confused and scared right now."

Pidge: "There's a vent back here? Hunk, keep aiming off again, maybe you can defeat them with that."

Keith: "What's in the vent, Pidge?"

Pidge: "I'm about to find out. I'm taking this fake bomb with me in too." I grab the cylinder device from the duffel bag and attempt to crawl into the vent.

DM: It exits into another room that has a stone pillar with the number 1 carved on it. A green rock sits on top of it.

Keith: "Hunk, your place doesn't seem to be working like our world does."

Hunk: "Yeah, I'm aware of that."

Keith: "Like you getting hit when you shouldn't be, and the clowns not getting hit when they should be."

Pidge: "I have maybe 5-6 minutes left..."

Keith: "Maybe Pidge is right, you have to deliberately miss?"

Hunk: "That's what I'm trying to do."

Keith: "Is it working?"

Pidge: "Hey! I found one of those pillar things!"

Keith: "When I touched the stone on the pillar, it brought me back to the main room."

Pidge: "This vent led to a room with a pillar and a green rock! The pillar has the number 1!" I attempt to grab the green stone

DM: The world is obscured by a blinding white light, which causes you to close your eyes. When you open them you're back in the original room, but the stone on pillar 1 is replaced by the green one you picked up. There's also a red stone on pillar 2 and a purple stone on pillar 3.

Pidge: "Wu-Woah! I'm back in the pillar room!"

Hunk: "Lucky..."

Pidge: "Hunk and Lance are still in, but looks like Keith and Shiro made it out. Or at least that's what I think the purple and red stones mean."

Keith: "That would make sense."

Hunk: "Purple and red stones?"

Keith: "I see a purple stone and a green stone. The colours seem to correspond to us, like Pidge said."

Pidge: "Stone 4 and 5 are gone, so I have to assume that Lance successfully chose the front-left pillar."

Keith: "Which means we aren't going to be reunited yet."

Hunk: "Did Shiro pick the pillar in the middle?"

Keith: "I'm pretty sure he did."

Pidge: "Looks like it."

Keith: "If I know him well, then I'm sure he picked the middle pillar. Also, the purple stone is on pillar 3."

Hunk: Hunk's breathing grows heavier again.


	11. Trial 2: Lance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Previously on _Monsters & Mana_....**
> 
>  
> 
> Lance: More in an attempt to avoid thinking than anything else, I walk back to examine the place where the spider hybrid   
> died.  
> DM: Roll intelligence [Lance rolls 4] You find nothing. The room starts to shake. Bits of rock fall from the roof.  
> Lance: I run back into the other room  
> DM: The door closes and disappears behind you.

Lance: I inspect this room

DM: There are 5 waist-high pillars in an X formation. Each pillar has a rock on top of it, and each pillar has a number. The far left pillar from where you came in is 1, the far right is 2, the middle is 3, the closest one to the left is 4, and the closest one to the right is 5. You also see more words spelled with moss. You've already looked here.

Lance: the same words i already read, or different ones?

DM: The same

Lance: That's the first helpful thing I've noticed all game. I inspect the stones more closely - are they all uniform in size and shape, or are they different?

DM: They all appear identical. Each is a black, smooth looking stone about the size of a fist

Lance: "Each individual may see a vision of one stone...." I mutter, scratching my head. "Well, here goes nothing." I cautiously approach the stone on pillar 4 and poke it very gently.

DM: You're suddenly overtaken by a vision. You're suddenly on a grassy green plain that appears to extend forever. You turn and you can see an exact copy of yourself, except it has glowing red eyes and a malicious grin. It seems to have a dark aura. You blink and you're back in the cave room with the pillars

Lance: "Huh." I walk over to the stone on pillar 5 and poke it to see what happens.

DM: Nothing happens

Lance: I poke the remaining 3 to see if anything happens.

DM: Nothing happens

Lance: I go back to the 4th one and try to pick it up.

DM: As soon as it's lifted off the pillar, a glowing portal appears on the opposite side of the room from where you first came in.

Lance: I enter the portal.

DM: You're back on the grassy plain facing dark Lance

Lance: "...Who are you?" I ask.

DM: Roll communication [Lance rolls 21 (nat20)] "Two. There are more than four directions," he says.

Lance: "How many directions are there?"

DM: He doesn't say anything else. He raises its gun to take aim at you

Lance: I dodge, and aim my gun at him

DM: Roll agility

Lance: (do i still have that -2 penalty on agility or have i recovered somehow)

DM: You've temporarily recovered

Lance: (yay!) [Lance rolls 20]

DM: You score a direct hit to dark Lance's chest when suddenly you're in pain. You take 4 damage

Lance: So I have 2 HP left lmao. GG me. Does Dark-Lance take any damage?

DM: Nope. He laughs evilly at you

Lance: I attempt to flirt with him

DM: Roll communication [Lance rolls 17] He laughs at you again. "Too afraid to fight, little Lancey-Loo?" he mocks.

Lance: "Dude, I have 2 HP left, cut me some slack."

DM: "Hahahaha. You just proved my point!" He says with glee

Lance: "It seems like you're the one who's scared to fight me, though, and that's the reason behind all this 'I shoot you and _I_ take damage' bullshit. You're scared to make it a fair fight."

DM: Roll communication [Lance rolls 4] He just laughs at you again. "I'll tell you what, you can have one free punch. That make it _fair_ enough for you?" He spreads his arms open in a gesture for you to attack

Lance: I flip him off

DM: He seems aggravated, and moves to punch you.

Lance: I spread my arms open wide and welcome the imminent embrace of death

DM: He punches you in the face. You take no damage. There's now a pillar in front of you with the number 4 carved on it. On top of the pillar there's the same stone you had before, but now it's yellow.

Lance: I pick up the stone

DM: The world it obscured by a blinding white light, which causes you to close your eyes. When you open them you're back in the original room, but the stone on pillar 4 is replaced by the yellow one you picked up.

Lance: I remember that I still have my bryzor cookie, which I eat. Now at a healthy 7 HP, I inspect the room to see if anything else has changed.

DM: There's a green stone on pillar 1, a red stone on pillar 2, and a purple stone on pillar 3. There's no stone on pillar 5


End file.
